A1GP news
Netherlands on top of second Friday session
01 May 2009 / Results / PhotosThe last race meeting of Season Four continued at Brands Hatch with Team Netherlands' Jeroen Bleekemolen setting the pace on the Grand Prix circuit with a lap time of 1.12.700, surpassing France's rookie session time to better the previously standing A1 track best by over two full seconds.
This weekend is set to be the fastest A1GP Brands Hatch ever, following a blistering pace set today around the 2.3-mile Grand Prix circuit with Bleekemolen heading the field after practice. "We went out and straight away we were on the pace," the Dutchman told the official A1GP website. "We made some small changes and improved the car. I had some traffic on my quickest lap so it was an amazing result.
"A1GP is really popular in Holland so quite a few fans will be coming, already you can see orange flags and people dressed in orange. It's great to see; there are going to be a lot of people here cheering for Great Britain and Ireland but we are going to be strong in that area too."
USA's John Hildebrand Jr set the early pace before the session was halted by a red flag after Mexico's Salvador Duran was stranded out on track after going off at Sheen Curve. For the first time in his A1GP career, Hildebrand's weekend doesn't end after the rookie session, with the 21-year-old being promoted to the team's lead race driver this weekend.
When the session restarted, Bleekemolen jumped to the top of the timing page and beat his own time to remain quickest at the end of the day, over two seconds faster than the official A1GP lap record set two years ago by Great Britain's Robbie Kerr.
The session continued with further casualties, including Italy's Vitantonio Liuzzi ending his session in the barrier at Stirlings bend and Brazil's Felipe Guimarães going off at Surtees.
Ireland's Adam Carroll kept his title hopes on track to end the day second fastest with a time of 1m 13.201s, while championship rivals Switzerland ended the day tenth with Neel Jani 1.291-seconds adrift of the Netherlands.
A1 Team Portugal, the final team still with a hope of clinching the title this weekend, was sixth quickest but after the chequered flag came out Filipe Albuquerque ran wide stopping just short of the barrier at Sheene curve. Great Britain's Dan Clarke finished 11th for home nation A1 Team Great Britain.
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